Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a 2028 Republican presidential ticket pairing Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be “unbeatable,” adding fresh fuel to the already simmering speculation about the party’s next nominating contest.
Trump made the remark during an interview with the conservative podcast “Pod Force One” hosted by Miranda Devine. “I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat,” Trump said, according to audio from the interview. He added that he has observed the two men interacting. “It’s interesting, human thing, the human equation. So I watch them together, they get along great,” he said.
The comment extends a pattern of Trump publicly sizing up the field for the 2028 race, even as both Vance and Rubio have downplayed their own ambitions. The vice president and secretary of state have drawn attention over recent months for their tandem appearances at the White House briefing podium, where each has taken turns delivering high-profile messaging on foreign policy and domestic issues.
Rubio’s turn at the podium drew particular praise from Republicans and even some Democrats who noted his smooth performance, which included quips and a 1990s hip-hop reference to describe Iran’s negotiating position. Vance, for his part, has been active on the campaign trail, including recent visits to Iowa and Hungary.
Trump’s endorsement of the two men running together rather than against each other could reshape the early contours of the 2028 primary race, which remains years away but has already generated considerable behind-the-scenes jockeying. Rubio and Vance have previously differed on foreign policy matters — notably on the U.S. approach to Iran — but Trump’s comments Wednesday suggested he sees the pair as a complementary rather than competitive asset for the party.